The council owned flats in Ballymun, North Dublin
Photo by: Google Images

The Italian edition of the popular Marie Claire fashion magazine offered an apology after it described Ballymun as ‘the Bronx of Dublin.’

David Burchiellaro, deputy editor-in-chief at the Italian Marie Claire, said the confusion came about after the article was “lost in translation.”

"If the comparison between Ballymun before 1997 and the Bronx has caused misunderstandings, we deeply apologise," added Burchiellaro.

"We would like to express our liking for the Ballymun community, as it is always extremely appreciable to see how these men react with a strong civic pride."

The magazine also referred to Ballymun as being like a scene from Ridley Scott’s 1982 sci-fi thriller ‘Blade Runner,’ making it out to be dystopian. Ballymun was used as an example of a successful regeneration project in the article.

Prior to the apology, Labour TD John Lyons posted online, "I was puzzled to hear my neighbours discussing an article in an Italian magazine last week about Ballymun and the successful regeneration project. After reading the translated article, based on interviews with local residents in 2011, it was clear that the truth was manipulated to suit a stereotype of the area.”

TD Lyons accused the Italian mag of misinterpretation - "References were made to quotes from local residents stating 'People who lived there were ashamed to give their addresses and considered themselves the 'Bronx Irish'.”

“A resident was also credited with saying the old Ballymun resembled a scene 'from Blade Runner with tower blocks that all looked the same'. I know some of the people quoted and they never made these statements.”

“While I welcome the magazine's interest in Ballymun and the story of the successful Regeneration Project, reverting to stereotypes and inventing quotations only undermines all that has been achieved.”

"This constant need to portray the area according to negative perceptions and imagery has no part of Ballymun's future and serves no purpose, even in the pages of a glossy magazine."